Empress Matilda wielded an extraordinary amount of power during the period known as the Anarchy in the 12th century, yet she just missed out on being crowned the first queen regnant in England.

Originally chosen as heir for her abilities as a ruler, Matilda was determined to fight her cause when her throne was usurped by her cousin Stephen. But how was she viewed by contemporaries, and what is the legacy she left behind?

Join Curator Charles Farris, alongside Professors Louise Wilkinson and Elisabeth Van Houts, for an in depth look into how Matilda pushed the limits and possibilities of female power. Who was her counter-part – Queen Matilda, and how did these women conform to, or disrupt medieval expectations of Queenship?

Archaeology can offer us new discoveries into the Tower of London's medieval past, as well as insights into the lives of the community that lived and worked there. In 2019, and in the summer of 2025, we undertook one of the most important excavations at the Tower for a generation, just outside the Chapel of St Peter Ad Vincula.

Now for the first time ever, we have detailed information about the ordinary people who lived, worshipped, and died at the Tower, but what more can we learn from these excavations? To find out more, we join Alfred Hawkins, Curator of Historic Buildings.

Read about the recent archaeological digs at the Tower of London in our blog posts:

Life, death and worship in the Tower of London, Part I | Historic Royal Palaces

Life, death and worship in the Tower of London, Part II | Historic Royal Palaces

What was on the table for a Tudor Christmas dinner? From the lavish feasts of Henry VIII to the sugar delicacies gifted to Elizabeth I, Christmas at court was a spectacle to behold and to taste! But for ordinary people, the preservation of meats, cheese, fruit and vegetables was essential to even last the winter.

In this episode, Hampton Court Palace's Historic Kitchens Team discuss the culture and festivities of the Christmas period in 16th Century England, and share their experimental approaches to researching Tudor life through food.

Watch the team recreate the traditional Boar's Head as a desert on our YouTube channel!